Battle of Retlar Gulf
The Battle of Retlar Gulf lasted from 17 to 19 Higver, 1593 AE. It was fought between the Seresian-Nyssan-Zhouranese fleet and the Turkau Southern Fleet. The naval battle was one of the biggest naval clashes in the Great Aredian war and the biggest in the Western Front. The Seresian-Nyssan-Zhouranese Fleet was commanded by Admiral Demetrios Anderis and the Turkau Fleet by Admiral Enver Pardah. The plans of the Turkau fleet were to decimate the Seresian-Nyssan-Zhouranese fleet and break the blockade imposed by the allied fleets after Belka bailed out of the war. Planning and Background Belka's withdrawal from the war had left Turkau in a perilous situation. Turkau's southern fleet had 7 Battleships and 6 Battlecruisers to the allied fleet's 11 battleships and 9 Battlecruisers. The Turkau therefore embarked on a strategy of divide and conquer. Said strategy involved raids into the Seresian coast to attract allied Cruiser formations who would be destroyed by Battleships. In Vyrver 1593 AE, Admiral Recep Egredan fell ill and was replaced by Enver Pardah, who said the Turkau navy's strategy should be "to damage and gradually destroy the Allied Fleets". It was following the capture of the Turkau port of Deczir after a bloody six-month siege that the flood gates were opened for an amphibious assault into Turkau. After Belka's withdrawal from the war, a few Zhouranese regiments were sent to Turkau via Seresia, but joint Nyssan-Seresian command recognized how much quicker reinforcements and supplies could be brought to frontline troops if they were landed directly in Turkau. All that stood between Deczir and disaster for southern Turkau was the under-strength Turkau Southern Fleet. The main Seresian force was supplemented by several Nyssan ships, mostly destroyers. By Higver 16th, 1593, the stage was set for the largest naval battle of the war. Battle Begins As soon as the Zhouranese fleet arrived on Higver 17th's early morning hours, the allied commander, Admiral Demetrios Anderus decuded to find and assault the Turkau Southern Fleet. At 1210 hours, the Allied fleets spotted the Turkau fleet using superior crews. The admiral then ordered the 1st Battle squadron(the Battleships SNS Mastrepi, SNS Sardak, SNS Nardin, and SNS Anassa Eudokia V)to open fire at the Turkau fleet from 15 kilometers. The Turkau Fleet lost an armored cruiser, two light cruisers, and a destroyer to the volley and a Battlecruiser, a heavy cruiser, and a light cruiser were severely damaged in the volleys as well. The Turkau admiral ordered his fleet to fire back as the Battle of Retlar Gulf commenced as the Turkau battleships fired at the Zhouranese portion of the fleet, sinking 1 light cruiser and 3 destroyers and damaging one armored cruiser, two light cruisers, and four destroyers. Middle Stage After the initial engagement, the 2nd Squadron of the Allied fleet attempted to swing around and smash the Turkau left flank. However, Turkau's destroyer force moved quickly enough to intercept the threat. three-hour slugfest ensued in which Turkau lost over a dozen destroyers. Seresia suffered the loss of a battleship with only 21 survivors and battlecruiser with only 8 survivors along with three destroyers. Nyssa lost four destroyers. The ravaged hulks were said to collide so catastrophically under the water that sailors on intact vessels could hear the screeching of metal, which quickly faded as the ships sunk further and doomed thousands of men to their deaths. For the remaining hours of the 17th, the two sides would trade sporadic fire but would never approach the opposing side enough to levy a broadside. Turkau lost a destroyer and a sub while Seresia lost a destroyer in this fighting. Around 11 PM, the two fleets retired to opposing sides of the Gulf, where they would lay for six more hours before the final engagement, which would decide the battle, and prove to be an enormous momentum swing on the Western Front (Seresia and Nyssa v. Turkau) Final Stage At 500 hours, the Zhouranese encountered the Eastern Flank of the Turkau Fleet and pummeled it for two hours. The Zhouranese fleet sunk one battleship with heavy losses and only 263 of it's 1,117 crew members survived, the battlecruiser TNS Khagan Arp Aslan I was sunk with virtually all hands and just ten crew members survived after the magazine blew up to a shell from a Zhouranese Armored Cruiser. Three Light Cruisers were also sunk and one was sunk with no survivors, and finally, two destroyers were sunk in the fierce fighting. The Zhouranese lost two Light cruisers and a destroyer in reture for incuring heavy loses on Turkau's fleet.